Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has hinted at returning after targeting the UFC 304 main event winner. The fighter was a dominant champion with five successful title defences, but his reign ended when he had to relinquish the belt to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 after a knockout loss. He has lost three consecutive fights and hasn’t been in the cage since his majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.
Notwithstanding his recent losses, the Nigerian fighter is still in perfect form and has considered stepping back into the octagon to prove his mettle. Usman is ready to make a comeback and become the pound-for-pound king. In a recent interview with the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman spoke about the reason for his return.
The boogeyman is on sabbatical right now, that’s all it is,” Usman said. “I still got tread left in these tires, and I’m still gonna show that I am one of the best, if not the best, in the world. When [the title fight] happens, it’s gonna happen, but I don’t really care. Whether it’s with Leon [Edwards], I’ve already beat him…I’ve obviously shown I can beat Leon. Whether it’s Leon or Belal Muhammad, it doesn’t really matter…
“There’s a lot of guys in that division right now that are exciting. Jack Della Maddalena, Shavkat [Rakhmonov], [Michael ‘Venom’ Page], Ian Garry, Gilbert [Burns] is still there…when I’m off sabbatical, and I’m ready to come back, I’m gonna come back and ‘Imma do my thing.”
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ isn’t ready to retire and has his eyes set on Leon Edwards as he enters his third title defence. Edwards will battle Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.
“I’m gonna do what it takes to earn that fight, then that fight’s gonna happen,” Usman said of a title shot on Pound 4 Pound. “The boogeyman is on sabbatical. That’s all it is. I still got tread left in these tires, and I’m still gonna show that I am one of the best, if not the best, in the world.
“I don’t really care if it’s with Leon. I’ve already beat Leon. Been there, done that. I bought the T-shirt, and I’ve obviously showed I can beat Leon. There’s a lot of guys in that division right now that are exciting.”
Usman is pretty amped about fighting Edwards, but battling Muhammad may be his shortest route back to gold. It would be a new matchup for him and a chance to test himself.
Nothing is different from Belal Muhammad [since the first Edwards fight], nothing,” Usman said. “Nothing jumps off the page where you go, ‘Oh, wow. That is so incredible that thing that he does. Oh, this is exciting. He throws this…’ Nothing. Nothing jumps off that page. But that’s just it. That’s why Belal Muhammad is so good. He’s worked at being this (straight line hand gesture) so well that it’s very hard to shake. That’s what I like about Belal Muhammad in this fight.
“Name one strike that jumps off the page where you’re like, ‘Oh, man. He’s really good at that back wheelhouse kick.’ Tell me one thing.
“Belal Muhammad is gonna put that pressure on you, that slow pressure, and it’s gonna start to turn into a weight vest. He’s gonna start to turn into someone on your shoulders, a mountain on you. That is something that you see him continuously get better and better at. That’s just what he needs. Belal needs to do him, and when he does him, right now, he’s doing it at a very, very high level.”
Usman also revealed his thoughts on how the fight between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad may go and how he’d like to face the winner.
“I think Leon is just starting to settle into the seat,” Usman said. “He shouldn’t be because I ain’t going nowhere yet. I’m just taking a little sabbatical right now. He’s starting to make his groove as champion, and I think he believes he’s the champion here. Leon is working on just staying in there. So, I’m gonna stay with Leon for this one, but I do think Belal could get it done, but I think Leon will pull this one out.”
